Bailer



Dec'. 1, 1942, A". D. PURTLE E'I'Al; 2,303,659

I BAILER Filed April :5, 194 1- 7 a Shets-Sheet s- .[ZDJZZWZZQ:ZEBroadwaZar INVENTORS.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 1, 1942 BAILER Albert D. Purtle, Marietta, Ohio, and JamesR. Broadwater, Toll Gate, .W. Va.

Application April 3, 1941, Serial No. 386,732

1 Claim.

The present invention aims to provide improved and novel means wherebyliquid may be bailed out of an oil well or a gas well, especially a gaswell, without loss of oil or gas, the bailing being done under pressure,the natural gas pressure in the well serving to discharge the bailedmaterial, thereby saving the oil, the natural gas being salvaged, sincethe outlet for the bailed material is opened no longer than is necessaryto permit the bailed material to be ejected, the outlet then beingclosed by an operator.

The present invention proposes improvements in the structure shown inour former Patent No. 2,130,026, granted on the 13th day of September,1938.

Among the improvements disclosed hereinafter, may be mentioned makingthe top stufiing box longer than the lower box, to the end that morepacking may be used about the sand line, the result being increasedpacking efficiency, with reduced friction. The casing head has beensimplified and improved, the top part, with the fluid exit and stufiingbox opening, being cast in one piece and including the valve seat. I

The metal top valve and associated case, com- 7 bined, includes a valvewhich, being composed of 70% lead and 30% tin, withtands the chemicalproperties of natural gas, the structure being capable of long continueduse, without damage.

The perforated, swivel rope socket prevents dam age to wire sand lines,and places the pull nearer to the top of the bailer.

Improvements in the lower valve assembly cut down manufacturing costsand afiord a structure which is more quickly assembled than the onehereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be madewithin the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spiritof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed of a device constructedin accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3a is a longitudinal sectional View, constituting a lowercontinuation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4. is a cross section on the line 4-4 of,

Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 65 of Fig. 3a;

Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line 1-'! Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing certain parts through whichthe line or suspension member passes.

Figs. 7 and 8 relate to a modification.

The numeral l marks a well casing. The immeral 2 designates a casinghead 2, including a body 3, internally threaded at its lower end toreceive the upper end of the well casing l. Circumferentially spacedopenings 4 in the body 3 provide for the exit of natural gas. Theopening 4 which is not in use is closed by a plug 5,

and into the opening which is in use, a gas conduit member 6 isthreaded.

in accordance with the invention, parts being sec- The upper member ofthe casing head 2 is designated by the numeral 1, and includes a reducedtubular neck 8, into which a lateral outlet pipe 9 for liquid isthreaded. A hand valve I0, under the control of an operator, isinterposed in the outlet pipe 9. the casing head 2 is held on the body 3by securing devices H.

Referring to the modification shown in Figs. '7 and 8, partshereinbefore and hereinafter described have been designated by numeralsalready used, with the suflix a. In the smaller sizes ofcasing heads,the number of securing devices I la may be reduced below the showing ofFig. 2.

In the upper end of the body 3 of the casing head 2 there is provided amachined recess [2, receiving a gasket M. The upper member I of thecasing head 2 is supplied with a depending annular rib l5, fittingclosely in the recess 12, and exerting pressure on thegasket M, underthe impulse of the securing devices H. In the upper member 1 and in itsneck 8, an upwardly tapered seat or bore I6 is formed. The neck 8 of theupper member I of the casing head 2 is supplied'at its upper end with athreaded opening l1.

The casing head structure 2 and associated parts constitute one of thestructural changes effected in our patent hereinbefore mentioned.

The upper member 7 of Into the opening H in the neck 8 of the uppermember of the casing head 2, a nipple I8 is threaded. The nipple [8 hasa neck l9, on which a lower stuffing box cap is threaded. The stuflingbox cap 29 advances a lower plunger 2|, to compress a lower packing 22in the neck l9. The stuffing box cap 29 is provided with an upstandingneck 23.

The numeral 24 designates an upper stufiing box cap, surmounted by anoil bowl 25. The upper stufiing box cap 24 is threaded on the neck 23 ofthe lower stuffing box cap 20, and advances a plunger 26 against packing2'! in the neck 23. The neck 23 is longer than the neck l9, and thepacking 21 may be increased in height accordingly, increased packingefficiency being afforded, with reduced friction, upon a sand line 28which passes downwardly through the packing box structures. Owing to thefact that the r b |5 of the upper casing head member is received in therecess l2 of the body 3 of the casing head, the packing box structuresare made unusually stable and correct alinement is secured, aperpendicular, right line travel in the sand line 28 being attained.

The packing box structure and associated parts constitutes anotherimprovement over what is shown in our former Patent No. 2,130,026.

A bailer B is mounted for reciprocation in the well casing I. The bailerB comprises a lower tubular section 29, which serves to prevent cavingsfrom the bottom of the well hole from d1sturbing the action of a footvalve, to be described hereinafter. In order to facilitate the operationof the bailer, the lower tubular section 2 9 may be perforated, asindicated at 39. A reinforc ng ring 3| is held in the lower end of thelower bailer section 29 by securing elements 32, the ring having anoutstanding shoulder 33, against which the" lower end of the bailersection 29 abuts. A 40 coupling 34 is threaded into the upper end of thelower bailer section 29, or is held otherwise therein, the couplinghaving an outstanding, annular rib 35, which engages the upper end ofthe bailer section 29. A valve seat 35 is threaded into the lower end ofthe coupling 34, and is provided with an annular flange 31, engaging thelower end of the coupling. 7

The numeral 38 designates a stem, mounted to reciprocate in the valveseat 36, the stem 38 car- 50 rying a guiding cage 39, shown in Figs. 3aand 6. The upper end of the stem 38 is turned oif to form a reduced tip49 and a transverse shoulder 4|. An inverted, frusto-conical valve 42cooperates with the upper end of the valve seat 36 aim is mounted on thetip to. The valve 42 1s not threaded on the tip 49. The tip 40 isthreaded to accommodate a nut 43, engaging the upper end of the valve 42and binding it against the shoulder 4!. The nut is held against rotationby a fastening device, such as a cotter pin 44, mounted in the tip- 49.

The lower valve structure last above described is an improvement whichcharacterizes the present application.

An intermediate bailer section 45 surrounds the upper part of thecoupling 34 and abuts against the rib 35. Securing elements 46 hold theupper end of the coupling 34 in the intermediate bailer 70 section 45.Within the upper end of the intermediate bailer section 45 is locatedthe lower end of a coupling 41, having a transverse shoulder 48,engaging the upper end of the intermediate bailer section 45. The boreof the coupling 41 75 on the upper part of the tubular stem 63.

is enlarged in its upper portion, to form a downwardly inclined annularseat 49. The lower end of the coupling 41 is held in the upper end ofthe intermediate bailer section 45 by securing elements 50.

An upper bailer section 5| is threaded into the upper end of thecoupling 41, and is provided with a transverse shoulder 52 which engagesthe upper end of the coupling 41, to space the lower end of the uppersection 5| from the seat 49.

A downwardly tapered anchor 53 has its edge disposed in the spacebetween the seat 49 and the lower end of the upper bailer section 5|.Since the periphery of the anchor 53 is located below the lower end ofthe upper bailer section 5|, the anchor is provided with any desirednumber of openings 54, to permit passage of fluid whilst the bailer isbeing emptied. The anchor 53 is provided with a reduced, depending neck55, and in th neck and in the body portion of the anchor, a taperedsocket 56 is formed. The lower end of the sand line 23 is babbitted inthe socket 59.

The anchor 53 is free to rotate, either to the right or to the left, inthe event that too much of the sand line 28 is lowered into the wellafter the bailer has reached the bottom of the well. Owing to the factthat the anchor 53 can rotate, the formation of kinks or loops in thesand line 28 will be avoided.

The rotatable anchor 53 and associated parts oifers a furtherimprovement.

The upper bailer section 5| is provided with an upstanding reducedportion 5?, which is circumferentially grooved as indicated at 5.8, forcooperation with the slips of a fishing tool. The reduced portion 5': ofthe upper bailer section 5| is supplied with a smooth upstanding tip 59.Over the tip 59 fits an inverted cup-shaped abutment 60, packing 6|being disposed within the abutment. The abutment 69 has an upstandingneck 62.

A tubular stem 63 is mounted for reciprocation in the parts 5! and 59 ofthe upper bailer member 5|. The lower end of the stem 63 is providedwith a stop 94, adapted to cooperate with a shoulder 65 within the upperbailer member 5|. A cup-shaped valve base 66 is threaded The valve base66 is circumferentially grooved, as shown at 61, to cooperate with theslips of a fishing tool. The valve base 65 is provided with a dependingneck 68. A compression spring 69 abuts at its upper end against thevalve base 66, and at its lower end against the cup-shaped member 69,which is carried by the tip 59 of the upper bailer section 5|. The neck62 on the abutment 69 and the neck 68 on the valve base 66 space thespring 69 from the tubular stem 63. In its side wall, the valve base 66is supplied with circumferentially spaced openings 61'.

The valve base 66 is held in a circular jig having a central core, andinto the valve base is poured molten metal to form a valve 10, adaptedto cooperate with the tapered seat N3 of the upper member of the casinghead. The molten metal crowns over the upper end of the base 66, thepart of the metal that is within the base flowing outwardly, to formretaining plugs in the openings of the valve base 66. The metal which ispoured to make the valve i0 may comprise seventy percent lead and thirtypercent tin. After the valve 'Hl has been poured, it is machined toshape, The valve '19 has an opening 12 in its top.

The valve bas 66 and the valve 10 form an improvement over the patentedstructure mentioned hereinbefore.

The gross operation of the device herein disclosed is the same as thatof the structure shown in Patent 2,130,026.

In practical operation, the bailer B is lowered in the well until thestem 38 opens the valve 42, and the bailer fills. The bailer is drawnupwardly, and the valve 42 closes, the liquid to be removed beingtrapped in the bailer. By means of the sand line 28, the bailer B israised until the valve 10 comes into contact with the seat or bore l6,as in Fig. 3.

When the valve 10 engages the seat IS, the bailer B continues to moveupwardly for a time, compressing the spring 69 and enhancing the tightjoint between the valve 10 and the seat Hi. The operator opens the valveIn for an instant, and the gas pressure in the well unseats the valve 42and forces the liquid in the bailer B upwardly through the tubular stem63, and through the neck 8, the liquid passing through the outlet pipe9. It is necessary to open the valve ID for an instant only, and thereis no loss of gas to speak of, in the emptying. of the bailer. Duringthe upward movement of the stem 63, the spring 69 acts as a cushion,limiting yieldably, the upward movement of the bailer.

What is claimed is:

In a well pump, a hollow first bailer member having a lower internalshoulder, a hollow second bailer member extended into the lower bailermember and forming an upper internal shoulder, an anchor mounted forfree rotation between the shoulders and having an opening communicatingwith both bailer members, and means for reciproeating the bailer, saidmeans being connected to the anchor.

ALBERT D. PURTLE. JAMES R. BROADWATER.

